Prop 8: Obama will file pro- gay marriage brief (Americablog)

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Guitarist Dan Toler of Allman Brothers Band dies in Florida

(Reuters) - Guitarist Dan Toler, who played in the Allman Brothers Band in the late 1970s and 1980s, has died of Lou Gehrig's disease at his home in Sarasota, Florida, his manager said.

Toler died on Monday and was in his early 60s, the manager, Glen Halverson, said.

Toler and his late brother, drummer David "Frankie" Toler, played in several groups, including Dickey Betts & Great Southern.

Dan Toler was part of the Allman Brothers Band from 1979 to 1982 and was featured on the group's albums "Enlightened Rogues," "Reach for the Sky" and "Brothers of the Road."

"His ability to make people laugh and feel good and happy was amazing," the Sarasota Herald Tribune quoted his friend and former bandmate Chaz Trippy as saying. "That smile of his is just a force of life and, God, how he loved playing that guitar."

Toler announced in 2011 that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative nerve diseased better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Funeral arrangements were pending, Halverson said.

(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Martin Golan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/guitarist-dan-toler-allman-brothers-band-dies-florida-223921429.html

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Google Glass is an all-knowing virtual assistant ? is your head ready?

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 6 hrs.

You may have recently spotted some goofy-looking headgear gracing the brows of the Google founders ? and a few supermodels, too. While it may seem like a cyberpunk fashion statement that just got too literal, Google's Project Glass, a wearable camera/display combo, may well be the future of human-machine interaction.

"One thing that we're really excited about and working hard on is transforming the way that people interact with Google," said Scott Huffman, Google's vice president of engineering for Search, showing off a video demonstrating the search engine giant's new sensation. "From the stilted one-keyword-at-a-time conversation, to more of a natural conversation ? like a human assistant."

Make no mistake, Huffman isn't talking about a virtual assistant along the lines of Apple's Siri, which responds to your questions. He's talking about a way to interact with a search engine ? and all its associated products ? that includes it gathering so much data about your life and habits, it will start anticipating your needs. Cool? Yes. Creepy? Maybe that, too.

"If you think about a good assistant," Huffman told me, pausing to correct himself, "a great assistant ? they don't interrupt you every few minutes." He described his own assistant, someone who doesn't interrupt him often, but certainly knows when she should give him a gentle reminder or a sharp kick.

"It's the opposite of the experience on your phone today," Huffman pointed out, referencing how disruptive our smartphones can be. Not only are they not capable of prioritizing our notifications, but they're mostly incapable of anticipating how the priorities themselves change depending on where we are ? or what time it is.

Though Google's improved experience will span all manner of devices ? "We're trying to think of it as ... your assistant is ubiquitously with you," said Huffman ? it's Google Glass that has everyone talking.

Under development in the Google X Lab ? that mysterious skunkworks where self-driving cars, neural networks, and other quirky yet ambitious projects are being dreamed up ? Glass is the most provocative way in which this assistant, your main touchpoint with Google, might interact with you.

A small display lives on a frame that resembles eyeglasses. It is connected to a camera, microphone, bone-conducting speaker, and more. Thanks to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, the device communicates with other gadgets, such as your smartphone, as well as the good ol' Web.

"OK, Glass!" ? with a command like that, you can prompt the device to take pictures, record video, initiate video chats, provide directions, send messages, search, translate and more. Cards resembling those seen in Google Now ? Google's response to Apple's Siri ? may occasionally appear in the tiny display, meant to remind you of a dentist appointment, provide updates on an upcoming flight, and so on.

A concept video released by Google about a year ago left some people under the misconception that Glass provides an augmented reality experience, where information is overlaid across a field of vision. Instead, as a new demo video confirms, Glass is significantly less disruptive. You actually have to glance up at the display.

Google's intent with Glass is to provide you with all the information you need, before you even think of a question, but without being a nag. Sound too crazy? Not for Google, says ... Google.

What people want ... and what they don't know they want
"Our role is to understand user needs in terms of our search products and make sure that we're developing a search experience that meets and exceeds expectations," Jon Wiley, Google's lead user experience designer for Search, told me in mid-December. To get a sense of how that was going, Wiley said, the company conducted a little human-nature study.

Wiley's team gathered up a group of folks "from all walks of life" and installed specialized software on their mobile devices. Throughout the day, this software prompted the study participants with a very open-ended question: "What was the last bit of information you needed?" The point of the study wasn't to trace the flow of data through the participants' handsets. Wiley's team just wanted to know what sort of information ? simple or complicated, mundane or exciting ? people were hunting for at any given moment.

The study not only allowed Wiley's team to better capture the sorts of queries that people don't ask a search engine ? "Why is my daughter being mean to me?" ? but also the context in which all these questions arose. Where were people when they needed to know these things? What time was it? What were they doing? By gathering these details, the team could attempt to understand the contexts of searches (even the helpless ones) in our day-to-day, human trudge.

One day, Google could perhaps provide all that information without prompting. After all, a diligent user of Google Now already gets flight information, traffic alerts, and other details automatically ? just based on itineraries, daily travel patterns, etc. But with Glass that information could always be front-and-center at the very moment it's needed. What if you're late for a flight? Checking for its gate information by reaching for a boarding pass, pulling your phone out of your pocket, or finding an airport information board wastes precious seconds. Glass could put the information right in front of you without delay.

The more information we share with Google, even just so that Google can better understand our data needs, the more privacy concerns will be raised. Google is already no stranger to privacy lawsuits and legislation, so how much more heated will things get when the company introduces eyeglasses that know as much ? or more ? about you than you know yourself?

Perhaps even more importantly, Google Glass is one of the first digital technologies capable of recording the world around you constantly: Will that cause discomfort for others? Will they start to avoid you once you're wearing a device that allows you to take photos or record video without even the slightest warning? And when will Google Glass data be brought into the courtroom for a divorce case, a robbery, or worse?

Despite its magical promises (and ominous portents), Google's creation may remain out of reach for a while ? until late 2013, at the very earliest. Google's currently only allowing select individuals to participate in the Google Glass Explorer program. This first publicly available Glass edition costs $1,500, and comes with an invite to a special pick-up event and more. In order to be part of the Glass Explorer program, you had to pre-order during Google I/O 2012 conference last June or make it through the recently announced #IfIHadGlass application process.

Nerd alert!
While the general public waits for the latest Google gadget to become available though, there's been plenty of criticism of Glass' appearance ? "these specs look like the freaky science fiction concept they are," Gizmodo's Mario Aguilar declared.

And the behoodied Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, not exactly a fashion icon himself, is among those concerned about how he'll look wearing Glass on his face, reports Ryan Mac. The Forbes' writer witnessed an exchange between Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin after an event at the University of California on Wednesday.

"How do you look out from this without looking awkward?" Zuckerberg reportedly asked. "You know, how are you supposed to use these this without breaking eye contact?" (Neither Facebook nor Google chose to confirm that this conversation occurred.)

Still, Google seems to be working hard to ditch the belief that only the nerdiest of nerds will don Glass. The New York Times' Claire Cain Miller reports that Google may be in negotiations with eyewear seller Warby Parker "to help it design more fashionable frames" for Glass.

The company also collaborated with designer Diane von Furstenberg during last year's New York Fashion Week and brought Glass onto the runway.

?I am so excited to introduce Glass to the fashion world and use this revolutionary technology to give everyone a unique perspective into fashion," von Furstenberg was quoted as remarking, while Google co-founder Sergey Brin added that "beauty, style and comfort are as important to Glass as the latest technology."

Until Glass is publicly available ? and until we discover whether this groundbreaking virtual personal assistant is worth bending a fashion rule or two ? the last words on the subject go to actor LeVar Burton. Speaking for Geordi La Forge, a character he played in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Burton tweets: "#ifihadglass It would be a downgrade."

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/google-glass-all-knowing-virtual-assistant-your-head-ready-1C8479651

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HBT: Manny set to sign with Taiwanese team

Two weeks ago reports had Manny Ramirez talking to a Taiwanese team because he couldn?t find any interested MLB teams and now Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes says it?s a done deal ? with a catch.

According to Rojas he has ?a verbal agreement? to sign with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional League, but the deal will only become official if Ramirez is unable to land an MLB job before March 7.

And since that?s not going to happen, it?s basically official. Rojas notes that top players in the CPL typically earn around $12,000 per month, so Ramirez obviously isn?t doing it for the money considering he?s made more than $200 million.

At age 40 he wants to keep playing and Ramirez hit well in the Dominican winter league, but no MLB teams would give him an opportunity.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/26/manny-ramirez-set-to-sign-with-taiwanese-team/related/

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Symbolism weighs heavy at Iran nuclear talks venue

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) ? The venue for talks on Iran's nuclear program between world powers and Tehran carries a symbolism that Western negotiators will hope serves as a positive omen.

In the 1990s, Kazakhstan, a sprawling former Soviet republic, gave up a huge nuclear stockpile and now wants to capitalize on its nonproliferation track record by offering to host a bank of reactor fuel that would remove the need for countries, namely Iran, to enrich uranium for themselves.

That may be one proposal under consideration at this week's talks in Kazakhstan's commercial capital, Almaty, between Iran and six world powers ? five permanent U.N. Security council members and Germany ? on Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

Iran insists it is not working on a nuclear weapons program, but rather is enriching uranium only to make reactor fuel and for scientific and medical purposes, as allowed by international law.

But many nations are suspicious because Iran went underground after failing to get international help for its uranium enrichment program in the 1980s, working secretly until its activities were revealed a decade ago. More recent proposals for international shipments of reactor fuel in exchange for Iranian enrichment concessions have foundered, with each side blaming the other.

Kazakhstan will not be involved in the talks that start Tuesday, and are expected to last for two days.

Kazakhstan's willingness to dispense with its once formidable arsenal in large part was born out of its grim legacy as a nuclear weapon testing site in Soviet times. Some critics say, however, that Kazakhstan's vocal trumpeting of its nonproliferation record is designed to act as a smoke screen for its lack of democratic freedoms.

Amid the Soviet Union's collapse, the Central Asian nation unexpectedly found itself holding more than a thousand strategic nuclear warheads and 370 nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, becoming the world's first predominantly Muslim-populated nuclear power.

Within a day of Kazakhstan declaring independence in 1991, Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat flew into Almaty in a visit that alarmed Western diplomats. Weeks later, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Pakistan, but officials ruled out cooperation on nuclear technology.

A former foreign minister of Kazakhstan last year claimed that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was yet another hopeful buyer snubbed by Kazakhstan.

Instead of responding to the overtures of Muslim partners in its neighborhood, including Iran, Kazakhstan sought help to divest itself of its powerful inheritance.

Its warheads were transferred to Russia by 1995, and the removal of highly enriched uranium stocks from a secret Soviet-built facility was done with U.S. assistance.

That process was inspired by Kazakhstan's recent history.

From 1949 to 1989, the bare flatlands of northern Kazakhstan were the site for 456 nuclear tests ? 116 of them above ground ? that affected an area the size of Arizona and populated by some 1.5 million people.

"The damage on our environment has been so serious that scientists believe it will take centuries to restore to normality," Nazarbayev said in a 2009 speech marking the 20th anniversary of the final test.

But even as Kazakhstan got rid of its nuclear arsenal, suspicions lingered.

U.S. officials investigated claims that Iran had secured components for nuclear weapons from Kazakhstan but turned up no evidence. Kazakhstan said only that it had been approached by Iran in the early 1990s for the purchase of low-enriched uranium, but not for weapons-grade material.

Since 2009, Kazakhstan has been putting itself forward as the potential host for a nuclear fuel bank to be operated under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Nazarbayev appealed to Tehran in a New York Times op-ed piece in March 2012 to eschew its pursuit for nuclear power status.

"Kazakhstan's experience shows that nations can reap huge benefits from turning their backs on nuclear weapons," Nazarbayev wrote.

Iranian diplomats are on record as supporting the fuel bank initiative, but little concrete progress has been made, prompting many observers to cast doubt on Tehran's insistence that it is not developing nuclear technology for military ends.

The fuel bank "should be a complete answer to Iran's concerns ? the fact that it is not indicates that the Iranian interest is not fuel supply but something else," said John Carlson, an adviser to the Washington D.C.-based Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The oil-rich nation's strategic geographical position abutting Russia and China, while fostering warm ties with Europe and the United States, have necessitated a nuanced diplomatic approach.

Kazakhstan and its neighboring former Soviet Central Asian nations are ambivalent toward the West's pressure on Iran, which make them useful intermediaries for Tehran. Speaking to Russian reporters in 2011, Nazarbayev insisted on pursuing diplomacy to solve questions surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

"If we talk about the Iranian nuclear program, then why don't we talk about the same program in Pakistan, and why not talk about Israel, which does in fact have nuclear weapons?" he said.

In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, the government has said it will not renew the lease on a U.S. air transit facility there used for military operations in Afghanistan when it expires in 2014 because, among other reasons, it fears that it could be subject to retaliation should Iran be attacked.

Countries in the region also have economic interests at stake. Turkmenistan, which shares a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) land border with Iran, was delivering an average 1 billion cubic feet (30 million cubic meters) of natural gas daily to Iran between July 2011 and June 2012, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration figures.

Cultural ties and growing investment from Iran into Persian-speaking Tajikistan have also served well to secure Tehran another potential ally.

Central Asia expert Sebastien Peyrouse said in a paper published last year that countries in region feel in any event secure that they would not be target of Iranian nuclear attacks.

"They believe that if Iran got this capability, it would not use it against them. Iran as a state and a nation is highly respected in Central Asia, and there is no feeling of distrust towards a long-term partnership with it," Peyrouse wrote.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/symbolism-weighs-heavy-iran-nuclear-talks-venue-111359437.html

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Video claims Nigeria sect holds 7 French hostages

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? A video posted online Monday apparently shows seven French hostages kidnapped from northern Cameroon, with a masked militant claiming the radical Islamic group Boko Haram from neighboring Nigeria holds them.

The video, posted to YouTube and mentioned on a jihadist website, shows one of two French men reading a statement, with a woman in between them. Four children sit on the ground near them, flanked by two masked militants wearing camouflage uniforms and holding rifles.

A masked militant in front says in the video that Boko Haram kidnapped the French hostages, a family of three adults and four children who were taken from outside a national park in Cameroon's Far North Region on Feb. 19. A black banner in the background, bearing the images of the Quran flanked by two Kalashnikov assault rifles, also resembles a symbol previously used by Boko Haram.

The man says the kidnappings came due to the French military intervention in northern Mali, where its troops have fought with Malian soldiers against Islamic extremists who took over the north in the months following a coup last year. The man also threatens the Nigerian and Cameroonian government, calling on them to release their imprisoned members.

"Let the French president know that he has launched war against Islam and we are fighting him everywhere," the man says in Arabic. "Let him know that we are spread everywhere to save our brothers."

The man threatens to kill the French hostages if the group's demands are not met.

The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the video's authenticity Monday, though it shares similarities with some Boko Haram propaganda videos published in the past.

However, in this video, the man speaks entirely in Arabic, while other Boko Haram videos have its leader Abubakar Shekau also speaking the Hausa language of Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north. Boko Haram has not published a video featuring hostages before. The video appears to have been filmed outside, as prayer mats hung in the background sway in a breeze.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement that "for us, these images are horribly shocking. They show cruelty without limits." He said France is fully mobilized to free the hostages but "verifications needed in these circumstances" are under way.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France told journalists his country's intelligence services are analyzing the video and "examining the nature of the demands."

The French gas group GDF Suez last week identified the captives as an employee working in Yaounde, the Cameroon capital, and his family. The group was vacationing in the north, a company statement said without elaborating. Cameroonian and Nigerian soldiers continue to search for them in the arid, rural border region the two countries share in West Africa.

Waza Park, a natural wildlife reserve in Cameroon's Far North Region attracts mainly foreign tourists. But the area often suffers from raids by bandits lurking in Cameroon, Chad and neighboring Nigeria, who abduct locals for ransom. A local witness told the AP he saw gunmen on motorcycles abduct the tourists on Feb. 19.

Boko Haram ? which means "Western education is sacrilege" ? has launched a guerrilla campaign of bombings and shootings across Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north. It is blamed for at least 792 killings last year alone, according to an AP count. It is known to have ties to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, an Algerian-based group that opened a front in Mali.

The sect, which typically speaks to journalists in telephone conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.

Boko Haram remains highly fragmented, without a clear command-and-control structure. One splinter organization launched from Boko Haram appears to be Ansaru, which has claimed the recent north Nigeria kidnappings of a British citizen, a Greek, an Italian, three Lebanese and one Filipino, all employees of a Lebanese construction company called Setraco. The group earlier claimed the kidnapping in December of a French national working on a renewal energy project in Nigeria's northern Katsina state.

However, the video claiming the kidnapping comes after supposed Boko Haram leaders denied this weekend that they took part in the kidnapping of the seven French citizens ? leading to more questions about who actually remains in control of the group. Shekau hasn't been seen in a video since late November.

A total of 15 French citizens are currently being held in western Africa. In addition to the seven kidnapped in Cameroon, there is one other in Nigeria and seven thought to be in northern Mali.

___

Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/video-claims-nigeria-sect-holds-7-french-hostages-163759996.html

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Dead man found floating near mysterious boat wreckage

U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is asking members of the public to help identify the source of a debris field, which included this large portion of a vessel, spotted Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean about 22 miles east of Jacksonville.

By Craig Giammona, Staff Writer, NBC News

The U.S. Coast Guard is trying to figure out what happened to a deceased man found floating in the Atlantic Ocean Sunday near the wreckage of a boat about 22 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., according to authorities.

The search for potential survivors continued Monday, with Coast Guard boats on the scene gathering evidence and looking for other people who may have been on the boat, said Lt. Grant Johnson, a Coast Guard public affairs officer.

---

Investigators have not yet identified the boat and don't know where it came from or where it was headed, Johnson said.

Approximately 10 life jackets were found near the boat debris, but the Coast Guard has not found evidence that other people were on the boat.

"We're working under the assumption other people were on board," Johnson said. "We're going to err on the side of safety. With the lack of evidence we're inclined to continue searching until we know otherwise."

The Coast Guard found the man's passport and believe he is a 49-year-old who last lived in Miami, according to Johnson. His body was recovered and taken to the medical examiner's office in Jacksonville, Johnson said.

Officials declined to identify the man pending notification of his family. The Coast Guard is working with local law enforcement to find his family and figure out what may have happened to the boat.

The Coast Guard did not receive a distress call related to the vessel, two large pieces of which were found near the body, Johnson said.

The wreckage was first spotted around 6 p.m. Sunday evening by an aircrew from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Coast Guard searched through the night for survivors, with boats and aircraft involved in the operation. Bad weather in the Jacksonville area prevented Coast Guard aircraft from searching the debris field this morning, but three boats remained on the scene looking for survivors and gathering evidence, Johnson said.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17088310-dead-man-found-floating-near-mysterious-boat-wreckage-off-florida-coast?lite

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Create Your Own Bleach Gel Pen For Easy Cleaning Around The House

Bleach gel pens are great for erasing stains on white shirts or cleaning grout around your bathroom, but they're pretty pricey. Luckily, you can make your own with just three simple ingredients.

One Good Thing by Jillee has the unbelievably simple recipe. All you'll need is a little bleach, a few Tablespoons of cornstarch, and water. The resulting gel is just like what you'd get from the store, but for a tiny fraction of the price. Once you're done creating the gel, you can store it in a squeeze bottle for easy and precise application on your clothes or around the house.

How To Make Your Own Bleach Gel Pen | One Good Thing by Jillee

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Video: 'It was beginning to be a little tricky'

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50932833/

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The seven creepiest teachers who allegedly banged or inappropriately touched their students this week [SLIDESHOW]

(Recasts, adds witness and driver quotes, details) Feb 23 (Reuters) - A fiery pile-up at the Daytona speedway on Saturday injured at least 28 fans and a driver after the 10-car crash sent car debris, including a tire, flying into the crowd in the final lap of the Nationwide NASCAR race. Race officials said 14 fans were sent to nearby hospitals and another 14 were treated at the Florida track, which will host the prestigious Daytona 500 race on Sunday. "Stuff was flying everywhere," spectator Terry Huckaby, whose brother was sent to the hospital with a leg injury, told the ESPN sports network. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/seven-creepiest-teachers-allegedly-banged-inappropriately-touched-students-055824241.html

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S. Korea's new leader faces N. Korea nuke crisis

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Even before she takes office Monday as South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-hye's campaign vow to soften Seoul's current hard-line approach to rival North Korea is being tested by Pyongyang's recent underground nuclear detonation.

Pyongyang, Washington, Beijing and Tokyo are all watching to see if Park, the daughter of a staunchly anti-communist dictator, pursues an ambitious engagement policy meant to ease five years of animosity on the divided peninsula or if she sticks with the tough stance of her fellow conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak.

Park's decision is important because it will likely set the tone of the larger diplomatic approach that Washington and others take in stalled efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions.

It will also be complicated by North Korea's warning of unspecified "second and third measures of greater intensity," a threat that comes as Washington and others push for tightened U.N. sanctions as punishment for the Feb. 12 atomic test, the North's third since 2006.

That test is seen as another step toward North Korea's goal of building a bomb small enough to be mounted on a missile that can hit the United States. The explosion, which Pyongyang called a response to U.S. hostility, triggered global outrage.

Park has said she won't yet change her policy, which was built with the high probability of provocations from Pyongyang in mind. But some aren't sure if engagement can work, given North Korea's choice of "bombs over electricity," as American scientist Siegfried Hecker puts it.

"Normalization of relations, a peace treaty, access to energy and economic opportunities ? those things that come from choosing electricity over bombs and have the potential of lifting the North Korean people out of poverty and hardship ? will be made much more difficult, if not impossible, for at least the next five years," Hecker, a regular visitor to North Korea, said in a posting on the website of Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

As she takes office, however, Park will be mindful that many South Koreans are frustrated at the state of inter-Korean relations after the Lee government's five-year rule, which saw two nuclear tests, three long-range rocket launches and attacks blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010.

Park's policy calls for strong defense but also for efforts to build trust through aid shipments, reconciliation talks and the resumption of some large-scale economic initiatives as progress occurs on the nuclear issue. Park has also held out the possibility of a summit with new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Much is riding on Park's conclusion.

"The overall policy direction on North Korea among the U.S., Japan and South Korea will be hers to decide," said Victor Cha, a former senior Asia adviser to President George W. Bush. "If Park Geun-hye wants to contain, the U.S. will support that. But if Park Geun-hye, months down the road, wants to engage, then the U.S. will go along with that too. "

Engagement by Park would provide a sharp contrast with the rule of her father, Park Chung-hee, whose antipathy toward Pyongyang during his 18-year rule in the 1960s and '70s prompted a failed attack on the Blue House by 31 North Korean commandos in 1968. In 1974, Park's wife was shot and killed by a Japan-born Korean claiming he was acting on assassination orders by North Korea founder and then leader Kim Il Sung.

Critics say Park Geun-hye's North Korea policy lacks specifics. They also question how far she can go given her conservative base's strong anti-Pyongyang sentiments.

But Park has previously confounded ideological expectations. She travelled to Pyongyang in 2002 and held private talks with the late Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un, and her gifts to Kim Jong Il are showcased in a museum of gifts to the North Korean leaders. During the often contentious presidential campaign, she responded to liberal criticism by reaching out to the families of victims of her father's dictatorship.

She said in her 2007 autobiography that she visited Pyongyang because she thought her painful experiences with the North made her "the one who could resolve South-North relations better than anyone else." She also wrote that Kim Jong Il apologized for the 1968 attack.

"I don't think this latest spike in the cycle of provocation and response undermines her whole platform of seeking to somehow re-engage the North," said John Delury, an analyst at Seoul's Yonsei University. North Korea wants a return of large-scale aid and investment from South Korea.

Before the election, Pyongyang's state media repeatedly questioned the sincerity of Park's engagement overture. Since the election, however, although regular criticism of Lee as "human scum" continues, the North's official Korean Central News Agency hasn't mentioned Park by name, though her political party is still condemned.

Pyongyang sees the nuclear crisis as a U.S.-North Korea issue, Delury said. "From a North Korean mindset, ramping up the tension and hostility with the U.S. does not equal jettisoning relations with the South."

Park may take a wait-and-see stance in coming months.

A possible positive turning point could come if North Korea resists tests or launches during April, when it celebrates two state anniversaries ? Kim Il Sung's birthday and the army's founding anniversary ? according to analyst Hong Hyun-ik at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. Pyongyang conducted a failed long-range rocket launch during last year's celebrations.

Hong predicts that the United States will seek nuclear talks with North Korea in a few months, something that could help Park's efforts to engage North Korea.

"The nuclear test sets back and complicates but does not necessarily doom her engagement efforts over the long term," said Ralph Cossa, president of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Hawaii-based think tank.

Park warned after the test that North Korea faces international isolation, economic difficulties and, eventually, a collapse if it continues to build its atomic program. She also pressed Pyongyang to respond to her overtures.

"We can't achieve trust with only one side's efforts. Isn't there a saying that 'We need both hands to make a clapping sound?'" she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skoreas-leader-faces-nkorea-nuke-crisis-050243531.html

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The machinery of the GWOT will come home (Unqualified Offerings)

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Dual-SIM Galaxy S3 Duos Lands In China

Posted by Muktware Staff on23Feb2013

Samsung?s dual-SIM Galaxy S3 Duos ? model number SCH-I939D ? is now official in China. Featuring support for CDMA and GSM networks, the device is said to be virtually similar to regular Galaxy S3 versions sold internationally.

The launch does confirm reports doing the rounds since November last year that the dual SIM version of Galaxy S3 would soon arrive in Chinese market. The Galaxy S3 Duos will include a slightly bigger battery, offering an additional 30 mAh battery capacity than the original handset.? ?

Powered by 1.4 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 quad core processor, the device runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. The company is still to make an announcement about its pricing and availability dates for China. But it looks like that it?ll only be a matter of time before the dual-SIM Android handset hits stores.

The smartphone is likely to arrive in two colour options, Marble White or Pebble Blue, with 16GB of storage space. So do these specs interest you?

Specs at a glance:
4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD touchscreen display
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system
1.4 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 quad core processor
16 GB? internal memory
1 GB of RAM
8 megapixel rear camera
1.9 megapixel front facing camera
2130 mAh battery

We are experimenting with editor picked 'user comments'. If your comment contributes to the story we will add your comment to the story, with attribution. So, go ahead and tell us what you think. Comments posted on our Google+ page will also be considered.

Source: http://www.muktware.com/5267/dual-sim-galaxy-s3-duos-lands-china

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Connecticut bill would give animals courtroom advocates

By Bob Connors, NBCConnecticut.com

A Connecticut legislator has proposed a bill that would allow the appointment of an advocate to act on behalf of an animal during court proceedings.

Connecticut State Rep. Diana Urban proposed the bill, known as HB 6310, "An Act Concerning Animal Advocates in Court Proceedings." It would permit a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture to be appointed as an advocate for an animal whose welfare or custody is the subject of a civil or criminal court proceeding.

"HB 6310 would give the option for an advocate in court for an egregiously injured animal," said Urban, a Democrat from North Stonington, Conn. "This would enable the animal's injury to be identified as a red flag for future violent behavior. We are putting together a public/private partnership with the state Department of Agriculture and nonprofit rescue groups including Connecticut Votes for Animals to be available to speak for the animals in court."

---

Also on NBCConnecticut.com: New backlash over Conn. state budget

Urban was joined at a news conference Thursday by Asa Palmer, a North Stonington high school student who discovered two of the?cows on his family farm shot in the face in January. One of the cows had to be euthanized.

"If this was in place today, Asa Palmer could request an advocate for his young cow, 'Angel,' who was shot in the face and left with her jaw hanging off," Urban said.

Two men have been charged with shooting Palmer's cows.

The bill, which is awaiting action in the legislature's Judiciary Committee, has the support of other lawmakers.

Also on NBCConnecticut.com: Caregiver charged after elderly woman is found on snow bank

"Much like our children who cannot advocate on behalf of themselves, innocent animals that are abused or worse, killed, deserve that same right," said Rep. Brenda Kupchick, a Republican from Fairfield, Conn. "Violence of any type is unacceptable and we must do whatever we can to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves."

It was not clear if or when the Judiciary Committee would take action on Urban's bill.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17058711-animal-attorneys-connecticut-bill-would-allow-advocates-to-speak-for-animals-in-court?lite

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Foreign military sales growth area for Army

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Army News Service, Feb. 21, 2013) -- Selling military hardware to allied nations is a way to keep weapon production lines hot, ensure the viability of America's industrial base, and strengthen ties with the militaries that buy the equipment. Foreign military sales is a growth area for the future, and a good idea, said the commander of Army Materiel Command.

"There's a growth in demand for training," said Gen. Dennis Via, commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command, during a presentation at the 2013 Association of the United States Army Institute of Land Warfare Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We think this is an opportunity we can leverage as we continue to build partner capacity and build relationships with allies and partner nations."

Through its Foreign Military Sales office, the Army facilitates the sale of military weapons and hardware to partner nations. When that happens, training and support packages are also sold to those customers, which ensure an ongoing relationship between the U.S. Army and the allied nation's military.

In FY 2012, the Army was able to generate $19.6 billion in foreign military sales to 144 different nations. The projected sales in FY 2013 are about $12.2 billion. Via said partner nations and allies want American military goods, and AMC can provide those goods through FMS.

"What I'm finding in my travels, as I meet with embassies and foreign militaries, is they have trust in the equipment the United States provides to them," Via said. "Certainly, I'd leverage every opportunity to push for a sustainment package as well. Because, at some point in time it is going to have to be sustained; it is going to have to be maintained."

Providing those sustainment packages along with FMS helps the Army preserve its own organic industrial base, its arsenals and depots, as well as provides opportunities for training and creates interoperability between U.S. and foreign militaries.

"That's been a win-win for both the U.S. Army and our allies as well; and also a win-win for industry," Via said. "We see that as continuing in the out years. This is a growth industry."

Source: http://www.army.mil/article/96953/Foreign_military_sales_growth_area_for_Army/

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Ron Cook: Former Penguins coach Therrien, Canadiens thriving

They say there is no better sports city in which to win than New York, New York.

Well, they might be wrong.

"This is a pretty good place to have success ... Montreal," Mike Therrien was saying Thursday over the telephone.

There is no more passionate fan base than that of the Canadiens. Therrien has experienced both sides of it. He felt the sting when he was fired in January 2003 after three seasons in his first run as Montreal coach. Now, after getting an unlikely second chance when he was hired again by the Canadiens in June, he owns the city. The Canadiens, who finished 15th -- dead last -- in the Eastern Conference last season, went into their home game Thursday night against the New York Islanders with an 11-4-1 record, the most points in the conference.

It's a remarkable story, one that has surprised the hockey world. But shouldn't the Canadiens' success under Therrien have been expected? Don't hockey people remember the job he did as Penguins coach? Don't they realize he's as good of a turnaround coach as there is in sports?

Therrien took over a Penguins team that was a disgrace in December 2005. His early days are remembered for his infamous rant after a home loss to Edmonton.

"That defensive squad, I think their goal is to be the worst defensive squad in the league. ... There's a lot of guys who don't care. They pretend to care, but I know they don't care."

But the tough love from Therrien worked for the Penguins. He demanded much-needed accountability, at times to the point that the players hated him. But the team improved by a franchise-record 47 points the next season. They went to the Stanley Cup final in 2007-08.

Eventually, the players tuned out Therrien. Tough love takes its toll. He was fired in February 2009 with the Penguins out of the playoff picture. Dan Bylsma took over as coach and led the team to the Stanley Cup. He deserves big props. But save some for Therrien, who left behind discipline and structure that contributed to the title.

Despite the success in Pittsburgh, Therrien wasn't a popular choice in Montreal. Many remembered his failures with the Canadiens the first time. Others felt he got the job only because he was French-Canadian, a Montreal native. The previous Canadiens coach, Randy Cunneyworth, was the franchise's first non-French speaking coach in four decades. His time with the team was a sporting disaster.

Therrien said he is much better-equipped to deal with the incredible pressure that goes with being the Montreal coach. His English is better, which is important in one of the world's best international cities. He's more comfortable being, well, Mike Therrien.

"I have my foundation as a coach, and that's probably the same," he said. "But you learn through the years. Experience means more than just getting gray hair. I was well-prepared for this challenge."

Therrien talked of "changing the culture" in Montreal, just as he did in Pittsburgh. "I tried to come in and communicate with the players." Therrien brought in a couple of trusted allies to have his back. He coached winger Brandon Prust back in their junior days and had winger Colby Armstrong with the Penguins.

"Those are character players," Therrien said. "You always want to surround yourself with quality people."

The players have bought into Therrien's system. They play an aggressive forecheck. They pressure the puck coming out of the opponent's zone. They believe good defense will lead to offensive opportunities.

"We gave the players a plan that we believe will lead to success," Therrien said. "They realize we're doing things to try to help them. It's been really good so far. We don't give up many shots. We don't give up many chances. If we stick to that, I believe we can be successful."

Goaltender Carey Price has been Montreal's best player, veteran center Tomas Plekanec its best forward. Therrien has been praised for bringing along rookie forwards Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher with a nice touch. But he might have done his best work with veteran winger Erik Cole and star defenseman P.K. Subban. Cole has struggled at times, prompting Therrien to cut his ice time. Subban was a contract holdout until Jan. 28, and Therrien delayed his return to the lineup by a game, then limited his playing time in the beginning.

The message?

The team comes above all.

The other players noticed.

"Everyone has to be accountable for their actions," Therrien said. "That's always been my philosophy."

Pittsburgh fans will get their first look at Therrien behind the Canadiens bench when the Penguins play March 2 in Montreal.

"That's going to be a special night," Therrien said. "I enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh. I miss Pittsburgh. I have a lot of respect for those players and that organization."

It's nice to think Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Marc-Andre Fleury and so many others have the same respect for Therrien even if they didn't always appreciate his methods. He did what a good coach is supposed to do. He didn't just make the players better. He helped them win a Cup.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/ron-cook-former-penguins-coach-therrien-canadiens-thriving-676444

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Jose Canseco to Play Tomorrow in Harlingen Texas in the Texas Winter League

February 21, 2013 - North American League (NAL) Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings
The Texas Winter League is pleased to announce the playing appearance of former American League slugger Jose Canseco this weekend, Feb. 22-24.

Canseco, 48, was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1986 and the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1988. During his 17-year career he twice led the American League in home runs, was a six-time All Star, and won four Silver Slugger Awards.

Canseco is expected to play in all six games this weekend and even pitch in one TWL game. Though he was an outfielder in the major leagues, Canseco has pitched in 15 professional baseball games, most recently 11 for the Yuma Scorpions in 2011.

The Texas Winter League, a showcase league for future professional baseball talent playing at Harlingen Field in Harlingen, Texas, will be concluding their regular season this weekend before beginning a two-day postseason on Feb. 26. The TWL features four team doubleheaders every day except Monday starting at 11 a.m.

Tickets for the games are $5 with groups of six or more receiving a one dollar discount. They can be purchased at the gate or by calling 956-423-9464.

? Discuss this story on the North American League message board...
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Source: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4549424

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Precious base metals Crude Oil may trade negative

European markets are trading on a bearish note taking cues from unfavorable data from the Euro zone region which diminished hopes of early recovery in the region. US Index Futures and Asian shares declined. There were also risk aversion witnessed on the back of concerns that US Federal Reserve might discontinue its bond buying program or reduce it.

Spot gold prices are trading 0.3 percent higher due to short coverings by the market participants after a sharp fall. Prices traded in the negative territory in early part of the day due to worries that the US Federal Reserve might discontinue monthly bond buying program of the nation. This created risk aversion and exerted downside pressure on the gold prices. Strength in the DX also acted as bearish factor for the gold prices.

In the domestic market, prices of gold on MCX are trading lower 0.3 percent taking cues from fall in the spot gold prices. However, depreciation in the rupee cushioned fall in the MCX gold prices.

Spot silver prices are also trading in the negative terrain down 0.2 percent. Weakness in the base metal pack along with strength in the DX is also acting a bearish factor for the spot silver prices. In the domestic market, silver prices on MCX are trading lower tracking fall in the spot silver prices. Depreciation in the rupee cushioned fall in the prices.

The base metals complex are trading lower due to worries that Chinese government might announce measures to curb rise in the property prices. Strength in the DX along with worries that the US Federal Reserve might discontinue its bond buying program also added to the losses in the base metals prices.

Copper prices are trading 1.43 percent lower due to risk aversion resulting from worries that US Federal Reserve is likely to stop or reduce the stimulus measures. Strength in the DX also weighed on the prices. Rise in the LME Copper inventories also acted a bearish factor for the red metal prices. Copper prices on MCX traced weakness in the international prices.

Nymex crude oil prices are trading 0.7 percent lower due to risk aversion amongst the market participants caused by concerns that US Federal Reserve might curb stimulus measures announced sooner than expected. Strength in the DX also weighed on oil prices. Depreciation in the Indian rupee however, restricted fall in the crude oil prices on MCX.

In the evening session, we expect precious, base metals and crude oil prices to trade with negative bias owing to risk aversion amongst the market participants resulting from the concerns that US Federal Reserve might discontinue or slow the bond buying program. Strength in the DX is likely to add to the losses in the commodities. Expectation of rise in the US crude oil inventories would also act as a bearish factor for the crude oil prices.

Courtesy: Angel Commodities

Source: http://www.commodityonline.com/futures-trading/market-report/Precious-base-metals-Crude-Oil-may-trade-negative-29475.html

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En garde! Odd shark wields 'lightsaber' spines

Dr. Jerome Mallefet FNRS - UCL

The glowing parts of the velvet belly lantern shark, as seen from the side.

By: Douglas Main
LiveScience

Austin Powers' Dr. Evil had one simple request: "sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads."

Velvet belly lantern sharks may not satisfy that demand, but perhaps they're even better: They come ready-made with glowing spines that look like lightsabers, research shows.

These deepwater sharks sport transparent spines, illuminated by a row of light-producing cells along their dorsal fins, according to a study published Thursday?in the journal Scientific Reports.

Researchers think the glowing cells help keep these small sharks from being eaten, warning would-be predators that these shark-burgers come with a side of transparent spine that would be tough to swallow. If true, this would the first fish to use light, or bioluminescence, to actively ward off predators, said study author Julien Claes, a researcher at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Strangely enough, these sharks also have even more glowing cells on the bottom of their bodies, which mimic the light streaming down from above, allowing them to blend in and preventing them from being spotted from creatures below, Claes told OurAmazingPlanet. "This counter-illumination prevents them from casting a shadow," he said.

Glowing on top and bottom
It's a surprising use of seemingly contradictory strategies, said Nicolas Straube, a researcher at the College of Charleston who wasn't involved in the study. "It seems (contradictory) on the first glance, but the counter-illumination is used to be invisible from potential predators attacking from below, while the spines could only be seen by predators attacking sideways or from above and it seems to be evolutionarily advantageous, to warn potential attackers beforehand: If you try to eat me, you will be pierced by these two nice spines," he said. "So, the two strategies may in fact work well in concert."

The sharks live in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea at depths of more than 560 feet (170 meters), Claes said. They usually don't get longer than about 2 feet (60 centimeters).

The researchers collected several sharks using longlines (a type of long fishing lines) off the coast of Norway; the animals are nearly impossible to raise in the laboratory, he added. [In Photos: Spooky Deep-Sea Creatures]

Lightsabers
Using computer models, the researchers found that the light from the "lightsabers" could be seen by predators from a moderate distance, but "could not be used as a lure to attract prey" due to their relative dimness, he said.

The sharks likely measure the amount of descending light through their "pineal window," or "third eye," a transparent area atop their head, Claes said. The pineal gland then produces hormones, including melatonin, that governs the amount of light produced by the cells on the bottom of their body, allowing them to blend in.

Several other species of sharks have defensive spikes, although none of them has been shown to glow, Straube said.

It's also likely the sharks use these light-emitting cells to communicate and recognize one another, Claes added.?

Reach Douglas Main at dmain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @Douglas_Main. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/21/17044478-en-garde-strange-shark-wields-lightsaber-spines?lite

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Washington University student overcomes testicular cancer

While his friends crammed for exams in the library, Brendan Ziebarth spent much of his fall attached to an IV.

It was an unconventional semester.

Ziebarth, 20, is an unconventional student. When doctors told him that his testicular cancer had returned, he opted to stay at Washington University to finish out the term.

?It really appealed to me to stay at school and be with my friends, the community at Wash. U, and people who I could hang out with who would really love and support me,? Ziebarth said. ?They would definitely be worrying about me if I were at home.?

Home is Arlington, Va., where Ziebarth was when he first discovered a hardening on his right testicle last June.

The urgent care center told him everything was fine. ?I insisted I got a referral to the urologist anyway,? Ziebarth said. ?Because I knew something was wrong.?

The urologist confirmed his fears ? it was testicular cancer ? and booked him for surgery the following Monday.

Ziebarth, whose friends gave him the moniker ?Ace? after the successful surgery, returned to St. Louis in good spirits, eager to continue his studies in architecture.

He went to monthly checkups at Barnes-Jewish. August looked good, but in September, he got a call back from the hospital.

The cancer had returned.

HIGH CURE RATE

As cancers go, testicular cancer is remarkably curable.

The five-year survival rate for all men with testicular cancer is 95 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. If the illness remains isolated to the testicle, the rate is 99 percent.

Even if the cancer re-emerges in the nearby lymph nodes, as in Ziebarth?s case, the rate is still in the 90s.

?The odds were in my favor and I had a great team,? he said.

Ziebarth began chemotherapy treatment under Dr. Bruce Roth, a specialist at Siteman Cancer Center in genitourinary cancers.

The treatment came in four three-week cycles. On the first five days of each cycle, Ziebarth went in for six hours of treatment. On the ninth and 16th days, he went in for an hour.

He opted for IV treatment as opposed to a surgically implanted port. ?To me, it was less of a constant reminder that I was sick,? Ziebarth said.

Ziebarth?s team tailored his regimen to how his body responded to certain drugs and steroids, but he still felt the sickness brought on by chemotherapy.

?I had constant heartburn,? he said. ?I would be hungry, but then I wouldn?t want to eat because of the heartburn.?

On day eight of cycle two, Ziebarth came down with a fever and went to the emergency room. That night, he had a CT scan, an MRI, a spinal tap and numerous swabs and cultures. The doctors told Ziebarth he probably had a sinus infection.

?The other thing we learned was that I was having allergic reaction to the chemo drug Bleomycin. It gave me an excruciating migraine,? Ziebarth said. ?My dad has them frequently, and I learned to empathize because it was unbearable.

?That was sort of my darkest hour.?

A SOCIAL NETWORK

But Ziebarth said school work helped distract him from the realities of chemotherapy. The university worked with him to set up a lighter load of six credits.

?I was able to take my Intro to Sexuality Studies work with me to the hospital during treatment,? Ziebarth said. ?It was a lot of reading, but it was fascinating to me.?

He even tried Skyping into class from the hospital one day. ?It was really awkward talking about sex with all these other patients listening. I was in a room with seven other people who were getting treated, and they all tended to be in their sixth decade or so,? he said.

For the younger crowd, Ziebarth made a Facebook group so loved ones could receive updates on his health and know when to offer a helping hand. Friends raced to get Tylenol and volunteered to drive him to appointments, helping to relieve the burden on Ziebarth?s local family members.

And when Ziebarth lost his hair, one of his fraternity brothers ? in an impaired state ? decided to shave his in solidarity. Others soon followed.

?I thought it was great,? Ziebarth said. He told his friends that, when asked about their newly buzzed heads, they should use the opportunity to raise awareness about men?s cancers.

Figures like Lance Armstrong have boosted attention toward testicular cancer in recent years. ?Teenagers and young 20-year-olds are much more aware because of high profile cases,? said Roth, who was on the team that treated Armstrong at Indiana University.

Roth says it?s important to instruct potential patients on checking themselves because a yearly physical may be too infrequent to catch a growing mass.

And while his patients may be young, Roth also suggests that they think long term. ?We recommend to bank sperm for patients going under chemotherapy.? Roth said many testicular cancer patients already have lower sperm counts, and some are sterile.

427 LIKES

Ziebarth received his last chemotherapy treatment in Arlington over winter break.

It was Christmas Eve.

?I went out to dinner with my family to celebrate what we were pretty sure would be the last treatment, then we had Christmas and New Year?s,? he said. ?It was great to be home.?

He got the news he had been waiting for back in St. Louis. ?Dr. Roth did his job, cured me,? Ziebarth said.

The whole time Ziebarth had wanted to remain stoic in the face of the disease. ?The heartburn, the migraines, they were inconsequential compared to the amount of suffering that so many other people go through,? he said.

So it didn?t really hit him until he called his parents and heard their relief.

?For the rest of the day, I was just sort of happy,? Ziebarth said.

If the Internet is any indication, his friends were happy too. Ziebarth?s Facebook status relaying the good news has garnered 427 likes and counting.

?I?m pretty sure it?s the only Facebook status I?ve ever made with more than 10 or 15 likes,? he said. ?It was very touching to see how many people were there for me.?

With peach fuzz now emerging from his scalp, Ziebarth is enjoying the spring semester. He enrolled in five architecture classes and plans to complete a minor in urban design.

The best reward? Ziebarth will use the scholarship money he saved by taking less coursework toward a summer abroad program in Florence, Italy.

?I?ll be living in an apartment down the street from the Duomo,? Ziebarth said. ?Doing studio by day, drinking wine all day and all night.?

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/washington-university-student-overcomes-testicular-cancer/article_b6ad1271-e074-51a5-a2d8-c2ecae76ee14.html

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Mexico security forces abducted dozens in drug war: rights group

IGUALA, Mexico (Reuters) - Dozens of people were abducted and murdered by Mexican security forces over the past six years during a gruesome war with drug cartels, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, urging President Enrique Pena Nieto to overhaul the military justice system.

The rights group said that since 2007 it has documented 149 cases of people who were never seen again after falling into the hands of security forces, and that the government failed to properly investigate the "disappearances."

"The result was the most severe crisis of enforced disappearances in Latin America in decades," the U.S.-based group said. (Human Rights Watch report: http://r.reuters.com/fyk26t)

It recommended reforming Mexico's military justice system and creating a national database to link the missing with the thousands of unidentified bodies that piled up during the military-led crackdown on drug cartels.

The report was a grim reminder of the dark side of the war on drug cartels that killed an estimated 70,000 people during former President Felipe Calderon's six-year presidency.

The report also illustrates the obstacles that President Pena Nieto, who took office in December, faces in trying to stem the violence, restore order over areas of the country controlled by the drug cartels and end abuses by security forces.

For nearly three years, 56-year-old shopkeeper Maria Orozco has sought to discover the fate of her son. She says he was abducted along with five colleagues by soldiers from the nightclub where they worked in Iguala, a parched town south of the Mexican capital.

She says a grainy security video, submitted anonymously, shows the moment in 2010 when local soldiers rounded up the men.

"We used to see the military like Superman or Batman or Robin. Super heroes," said Orozco. "Now the spirit of the whole country has turned against them."

Hers was one of the cases illustrated in the Human Rights Watch report.

Pena Nieto has vowed to take a different tack to his predecessor Calderon and focus on reducing violent crime and extortion rather than on going head to head with drug cartels.

The government last month introduced a long-delayed law to trace victims of the drug war and compensate the families. It says it is moving ahead with plans to roll out a genetic database to track victims and help families locate the disappeared.

"There exists, in theory, a database with more than 27,000 people on it," said Lia Limon, deputy secretary of human rights at Mexico's interior ministry. "It's a job that's beginning."

Still, impunity remains rife. The armed forces opened nearly 5,000 investigations into criminal wrongdoing between 2007 and 2012, but only 38 ended in sentencing, according to Human Rights Watch.

In its report it describes the impact of the disappearances on victims' families, a daily reality for Ixchel Mireles, a 50-year-old librarian from the northern city of Torreon, whose husband Hector Tapia was abducted by men in federal police uniforms.

Neither Mireles nor her daughter has heard from Tapia since that night in June 2010.

"I want him to be alive, but the reality just destroys me," said Mireles. "I just want them to give him back, even if he is dead."

Since her husband's disappearance, Mireles has struggled financially, having lost his 40,000 pesos ($3,143) a month salary. She has moved her daughter to a cheaper university and can barely keep up payments on her house.

"I now travel by foot," she said, noting that Mexico's social security system does not recognize the disappeared.

Some family members of the disappeared have asked for soldiers guilty of rights abuses to be judged like civilians, a move Mexico's Supreme Court has approved.

"To us it just seems that the military is untouchable," said Laura Orozco, 36, who says she witnessed her brother's military-led abduction. "They're bulletproof."

($1 = 12.73 pesos)

(Additional reporting by Michael O'Boyle,; Editing by Simon Gardner, Kieran Murray and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-security-forces-abducted-dozens-drug-war-rights-050135677.html

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